Improvement in key-fasteners



UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JAMES E. ANDREWS, 0E NEW YORK, N. Y.

IMPRVMVENT IN KEY-FASTENERS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 152,719, dated lluly 7,1874 application filed May 26, 1874.

OASE A.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, JAMES B. ANDREWS, of NewYork city, in the county of New York, in the State of New York, haveinvented a new Improvement in Door'Locks; and I do hereby declare thatthe following is a full and exact description thereof, reference beinghad to the accompanying drawings, and to the letters of reference markedthereon.

My invention relates to improvements in that class of combinedkey-holecovering plates and key-fasteners in which the keyhole-coveringplate is adapted to swing over the key-hole in a plane parallel with theface ot' the escutcheon, and is provided with a slot for holding the keyin position; and my invention consists in the combination, with akeyhole-covering plate formed with a'slot for embracing the key, and aprojection on the lower end of the same, of an angular form incross-section, of an escutcheon-plate formed with a projecting flange orlip, and a springcatch device of a peculiar construction, as hereinaftermore fully described.

To enable those skilled in the art to make and use my invention, I willproceed to describe the same in detail by aid of the accompanyingdrawings, in which the same letters of reference are employed toindicate corresponding parts wherever they occur.

Figure 1 represents a front elevation of part of a door with my improveddevice applied thereto. Fig. 2 is a vertical section of the same, takenthrough the line :v x of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a cross-section through theline y y, Fig. 1. Fig. 4 is a similar section through the line z z,Fig. 1. Fig. 5 represents a perspective view of the key, and Fig. 6 aper spective view of the locking or holding plate g and projection g2. l

Arepresents a portion of a door having applied to it an ordinary lockwith my invention added. B is the knob on the inner side of the door,and e1 is the key-hole; f, the key, which in Fig. 2 is shown in positionin the e lock, with its bow and stem projecting on the inside of thedoor. e is an escutcheon-plate, in which is formed the key-hole el.Pivoted to the plate e at e2 is a plate, g, adapted to cover thekey-hole el, and also, by means ot' its slot t', to embrace and hold thekey f in any desired position by means of the flattened portion f,'whichis adapted to pass between the sides of the slot '5. 0n the under sideof the plate g a projection, g2, is formed, which, together with thelower edge g3 of the plate g, is adapted to pass under and be retainedbeneath a projecting liange or lip, m4, formed on or afxed to theescutcheon plate e. In the center of the flange or lip m4 a hole isformed, through which the shank m1 of a knob or button, m, passes, theend of which is connected to a spiing, m2, one end of which is rivetedor otherwise connected to the escutcheon-plate e at m3, while theopposite end is formed with a catch or projection, m5,

adapted to embrace the projection g2 of the plate g, and hold the samesecurely in position. e2 is a recess formed in the plate c for thepurpose of allowing the free action of the spring m2.

The operation of the parts thus made will be readily understood. Whenthe key is to be inserted in the lock from the inner side of the door,the plate g is swung to one side out of the way, as usual, and the keyput into the lock. The key is then turned and set so that the part f ofits stem will t into the slot lof the said plate. The plate g is thenpressed forward so that its extension g2 shall pass over the projectionm5 of the spring m2, and the extension g2, as well as its lowerextremity g3, be securely retained beneath the lange or lip m4, therebyholdin g the key from being turned or removed until the end g2 of theplate g is released from the spring m2 by pressing the knob m, when theplate g may ble turned on its axis out of the way.

Having thus described my invention, I would have it understood that I donot claim, broadly, a keyhole-covering and key-fastening device providedwith a plate, g, adaptedto swing over the key-hole in the manner or lipm4, all constructed and operating in described, nor do I claim, broadly,a plate, m4, the manner and for the purpose described.

as and for the purpose set forth; but In testimony whereof I havehereunto set What I do claim, and desire to secure by my hand and sealthis 18th day of May, 1874. Letters Patent is- In combination with akeyhole-covering JAMES B ANDREWS [L S] plate, g, having a slot, i, andan extension, g2, Witnesses an escutcheon-plate, e, provided with arecess, WM. L. RAYMOND,

e2, spring m2, knob m, and projecting flange J. N. MCINTIRE.

